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Leicester v Zorya Luhansk preview: prediction, expected line-up

By Joe Reilly

Blue, Silver and gold flags at Leicester City (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
Blue, Silver and gold flags at Leicester City (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images) /
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Blue, Silver and gold flags at Leicester City (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
Blue, Silver and gold flags at Leicester City (Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images) /

Leicester City are set to undertake their maiden voyage in the Europa League tomorrow night against Ukrainian Premier League side Zorya Luhansk. Here’s what to expect.

Tomorrow night marks a significant moment in the history of Leicester City Football Club. The Foxes are set to make their first outing in the Europa League since it rebranded from the UEFA cup in the 2009/10 season, with Ukrainian Premier League outfit F.C. Zorya Luhansk travelling to the King Power Stadium for an 8:00pm kick-off.

Many of you will have fond memories of Leicester’s last stint in Europe in the 2016/17 Champions League- topping the group and defying the odds for a second time with a monumental win against European regulars Sevilla, before being knocked out in dubious circumstances by Atlético Madrid. This time, the odds are stacked far more favourably towards Leicester City, who are 20/1 to finish as eventual winners of the competition. It certainly won’t be easy feat, but a win against Zorya tomorrow night would be an ideal start for the Foxes.

Zorya Luhansk:

F.C. Zorya Luhansk are a Ukrainian Premier League outfit traditionally based in Luhansk, Eastern Ukraine, though they currently play their home games further west, in Zaporizhia. At the time of writing, Zorya sit at ninth place in the UPL table, with only one win from six games played, while their last major honours came with a solitary Ukrainian League title back in the 2005/06 season. Their record in Europe is similarly inconsistent. Since the 2014-15 season, Zorya have been entered into the Europa League every year, but have only succeeded in making it past the qualifiers three times, and never going further than the group stage.

Despite Zorya’s spotty form, it would be a mistake to insinuate that this will be an easy three points for Leicester City. On far too many occasions last season did we see the Foxes underestimate their opponents, costing them dearly in the form of a cup final and a place in the top four. Leicester of all clubs should be well aware of the immense power that an underdog reputation can bring, with Zorya likely well up for the occasion as they travel to the East Midlands.

With more difficult fixtures against Braga and AEK Athens fast approaching, it’s important that the Foxes get off to a winning start tomorrow, or they could easily slip down the group given one or two mistakes. A key battle should emerge between whoever the Foxes choose to deploy at defensive midfield and highly-rated attacking midfielder Vladlen Yurchenko. A capable defensive midfielder, goalkeeper and centre-back pairing completes a strong spine for the Ukrainian outfit. Given they keep their concentration, tomorrow’s match is one that I fully expect Leicester to win- but they should not expect Zorya to make it easy for them.